DOVES ‘BROADCAST’ NEW SONGS

The Manchester band are joined by The Vines and The Music at the London Astoria...

Doves previewed material from their long-awaited new album ‘The Last Broadcast’ at a stunning NME 5.0 gig at London’s Astoria last night (Friday, April 5).

The Manchester band, who release their comeback single ‘There Goes The Fear’ through Heavenly on April 15, played to a rapturous reception. Ash‘s Tim Wheeler and Charlotte Hatherley were among the stars in the audience.

There were queues of fans outside the Astoria from early evening, with people desperate to see the two hotly-tipped support acts – Vines and The Music. Vines, who are from Australia and have been compared to Nirvana, have only played a handful of gigs in the UK. But they already have a loyal following and new single ‘Highly Evolved’ was a stand-out moment from their blazing performance.

The Astoria was virtually full by the time Doves were on stage. The band premiered material from their new ‘The People’ EP, which is released through Hut on April 29. There was a lively mosh pit going during the set and frontman Robert Harvey, wearing a huge pair of Madchester-style flairs, rose to the occasion with an intense performance.

Doves fans were ecstatic when the band arrived on stage for the NME 5.0 gig, which was rescheduled from February so the band could complete their second album ‘The Last Broadcast’, due for release on April 29. Much of the album was previewed and fans were clearly enthusiastic about the new songs, particularly new single ‘There Goes The Fear’ and potential single ‘Pounding’.

The gig, which was backed with a stunning film projection, also featured live favourites from the debut ‘Lost Souls’ album, including ‘The Cedar Room’ and ‘Catch The Sun’. At one point, frontman Jimi Goodwin attempted – without success – to get a chant going in the audience for Manchester City. Doves play a full UK tour at the end of April, starting at Leeds Metropolitan on April 30.

Don’t forget to buy the new issue of NME on Wednesday (April 10), as it features an exclusive Doves interview and comes with a CD including a brand new Doves song from ‘The Last Broadcast’.